Systems and Methods for Use of Distributed Ledger Technology for Recording and Utilizing Credit Account Transaction Information

ABSTRACT

The disclosed technology includes a distributed ledger system that can include one or more transaction blocks that are associated with one or more transaction records of an account corresponding to the primary account number. The system may allocate a first type block in a first distributed ledger, and the first type block may be utilized to identify a classification type associated with the first primary account number. The system may receive, at the first node, a first transaction indication associated with the first primary account number. Responsive to receiving the first transaction indication, the system may bind a first transaction block to the first distributed ledger. Transaction blocks may be configured for selective control and/or selective replicated to other nodes of the system. In response to an end-of-cycle indication, the first transaction block may be locked to prevent further modification.

FIELD

This disclosed technology relates to maintaining and utilizinginformation associated with credit accounts, and more specifically tothe use of distributed ledgers to record and utilize transactioninformation.

BACKGROUND

Conventional finance- and/or credit-related systems utilize centralizedelectronic databases as ledgers to record and store transactioninformation. In a typical banking ledger system for example, a centralauthority validates the authenticity of the transactions recorded in thedatabase. While such databases have been used by financial institutionsfor decades, such centralized designs can present certain limitationsand inefficiencies, for example, in updating, maintaining, validating,securing, and/or communicating the records and related information.Furthermore, in certain conventional systems, records may be susceptibleto lost information, tampering, inadvertent changes, validation delays,etc.

Recent advances in computing power, cryptography, and networkconnectivity have enabled so-called distributed “blockchain” systems forapplications that can simultaneously record transaction-related entriesin multiple places, and at the same time. Unlike traditional centralizeddatabases, however, such blockchain systems typically have no centraldata store or administration functionality: transactions are bundledinto blocks that are chained together, and then broadcasted to othernodes in the network. Bitcoin is well-known digital currency thatutilizes blockchain techniques and peer-to-peer networks in whichtransactions are replicated among nodes and validated without thetraditional administrative or central controller.

Accordingly, there is a need for improved ledger systems and methods inwhich a balanced approach between centralized and distributedarchitecture is utilized to provide appropriate control and flexibility.

BRIEF SUMMARY

The disclosed technology includes a distributed ledger system forselectively controlling distributed ledgers. The system can include aplurality of nodes configured to store a plurality of distributedledgers associated with a corresponding plurality of primary accountnumbers. The distributed ledgers can include one or more transactionblocks that are associated with one or more transaction records of anaccount corresponding to the primary account number.

In certain example implementations, the distributed ledger system isconfigured to establish, at a first node of the plurality of nodes, afirst distributed ledger associated with a first primary account number.The system may allocate a first type block in the first distributedledger, and the first type block may be utilized to identify aclassification type associated with the first primary account number.The system may receive, at the first node, a first transactionindication associated with the first primary account number. Responsiveto receiving the first transaction indication, the system may bind afirst transaction block to the first distributed ledger. In certainexample implementations, the first transaction block can include a firstrecord associated with the first transaction indication. According tocertain example implementations of the disclosed technology one or moretransaction blocks may be configured for selective control by an API atthe block level.

In accordance with certain example implementations of the disclosedtechnology, transaction information may be selectively replicated toother nodes of the system, for example, by selectively transmitting thefirst transaction block to at least a second node of the plurality ofnodes. In response to an end-of-cycle indication, the first transactionblock may be locked to prevent further modification.

Certain implementations of the disclosed technology include ahybrid-distributed ledger system that may provide a flexible, efficientand secure means to underwrite, record, process, and/or utilizetransaction information.

Other implementations, features, and aspects of the disclosed technologyare described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimeddisclosed technology. Other implementations, features, and aspects canbe understood with reference to the following detailed description,accompanying drawings, and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

Reference will now be made to the accompanying figures and flowdiagrams, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts an example hybrid distributed ledger system 100 in whichtransaction blocks 112 are bound in chains 110 and stored at selectednodes, according to an example implementation of the disclosedtechnology.

FIG. 2 depicts an example chain 200 made up of transaction blocks 112,according to an example implementation of the disclosed technology.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an illustrative computing device 300according to an example implementation of the disclosed technology.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an illustrative distributed ledgerprocessing system 400, according to an example implementation of thedisclosed technology.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a method 500 according to an exampleimplementation of the disclosed technology.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a method 600 according to an exampleimplementation of the disclosed technology.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Some implementations of the disclosed technology will be described morefully with reference to the accompanying drawings. This disclosedtechnology may, however, be embodied in many different forms and shouldnot be construed as limited to the implementations set forth herein. Thecomponents described hereinafter as making up various elements of thedisclosed technology are intended to be illustrative and notrestrictive. Many suitable components that would perform the same orsimilar functions as components described herein are intended to beembraced within the scope of the disclosed electronic devices andmethods. Such other components not described herein may include, but arenot limited to, for example, components developed after development ofthe disclosed technology.

It is also to be understood that the mention of one or more method stepsdoes not preclude the presence of additional method steps or interveningmethod steps between those steps expressly identified. Similarly, it isalso to be understood that the mention of one or more components in adevice or system does not preclude the presence of additional componentsor intervening components between those components expressly identified.

According to an example implementation of the disclosed technology, adistributed ledger system is provided for selectively controllingdistributed ledgers (DL). The system includes a plurality of nodesstoring a plurality of DLs associated with a corresponding plurality ofprimary account numbers (PAN) and having one or more transaction blocksassociated with one or more transaction records of accountscorresponding to the PANs. The system is configured to: establish, at afirst node of the plurality of nodes, a first DL associated with a firstPAN; allocate a first type block in the first DL, the first type blockidentifying a classification type associated with the first PAN;receive, at the first node, a first transaction indication associatedwith the first PAN; responsive to receiving the first transactionindication, bind a first transaction block to the first DL, the firsttransaction block comprising a first record associated with the firsttransaction indication; selectively transmit, via a transceiver, thefirst transaction block to at least a second node of the plurality ofnodes for selective replication; and responsive to an end-of-cycleindication, lock the first transaction block to prevent furthermodification.

According to another example implementation of the disclosed technology,a computer-implemented method is disclosed. The method includesreceiving, by a first node of a distributed ledger system, a transactionmessage associated with an electronic transaction, wherein thedistributed ledger system comprises a plurality of nodes, each nodeconfigured to store a plurality of distributed ledgers (DL), each DL isassociated with a primary account number (PAN), each DL comprising oneor more transaction blocks, and each of the one or more transactionblocks is associated with a transaction record of an accountcorresponding to the PAN; storing, in a memory of a first transactionblock of a first DL associated with the first node, a data recordrepresentative of the electronic transaction; electronicallytransmitting to at least a second node of the plurality of nodes, anupdated version of the first DL; and selectively validating one or moreselected transaction blocks associated with one or more selected DLs ofone or more selected nodes of the plurality of nodes.

According to another example implementation of the disclosed technology,a non-transitory computer readable storage medium is provided forstoring instructions for use with a distributed ledger system (DLS),wherein the DLS includes a transceiver and a memory storage system incommunication with a plurality of nodes, each node configured to store aplurality of distributed ledgers (DL), each DL is associated with aprimary account number (PAN), each DL comprising one or more transactionblocks, and each of the one or more transaction blocks is associatedwith a transaction record of an account corresponding to the PAN, andwherein the instructions are configured to cause the DLS to perform amethod comprising: receiving, by a first node of the DLS, a transactionmessage associated with an electronic transaction; storing, in a memoryof a first transaction block of a first DL associated with a first PAN,a data record representative of the electronic transaction;electronically transmitting to at least a second node of the pluralityof nodes, an updated version of the first DL; and selectively validatingone or more selected transaction blocks associated with one or moreselected DLs of one or more selected nodes of the plurality of nodes.

In another example implementation, a computer-implemented method isprovided for selective control of distributed ledgers (DL) of adistributed ledger system (DLS), the DLS comprising a plurality ofnodes, each node storing a plurality of DLs, each DL is associated witha primary account number (PAN), each DL comprising blocks, and eachblock is associated with a transaction record of an accountcorresponding to the PAN; the method comprising: allocating a type blockin each DL, the type block identifying a classification type associatedwith the PAN; receiving at a first node of the plurality of nodes, atransaction indication associated with the PAN; responsive to receivingthe transaction indication, binding a transaction block to the DL, thetransaction block comprising a record associated with the transactionindication; selectively transmitting, via a transceiver, the transactionblock to one or more nodes of the DLS for selective replication;responsive to an end-of-cycle indication, locking at least a portion ofthe transaction blocks to prevent further modification. According to anexample implementation of the disclosed technology, the DL is configuredfor selective control by an API at the block level. In certain exampleimplementations at least one of the blocks of the DL are configured tobe reserved for one or more special events associated with the PAN.

FIG. 1 depicts an example distributed ledger system 100 according to anexample implementation of the disclosed technology. The example system100 can include a plurality of nodes 101 (represented by solid circles)joined by communication interconnections 104 (represented by lines). Asdepicted in the bottom portion of FIG. 1, and according to an exampleimplementation, certain transaction blocks 112 may be bound 116 togetherto form chains 110, the chains 110 may be stored at selected nodes 102of the plurality of nodes 101, and the chains 110 may be selectivelyreplicated through the system 100.

In accordance with certain example implementations of the disclosedtechnology, each of the chains 110 assembled from the correspondingtransaction blocks 112 may be associated with a particular primaryaccount number (PAN). A plurality of chains 110, associated with arespective plurality of PANs may make up a local ledger, which may bedistributed to one or more selected nodes of the plurality of nodes 101.For example, a given node 102 may be designated to store a plurality ofdistributed ledgers (DL), each associated with a corresponding PAN. Incertain example implementations, each local ledger and/or DL is a chain110 made of blocks 112, and each block 112 is associated with atransaction record of an account corresponding to the PAN.

In certain example implementations, one or more of the nodes 101 may bedesignated as a control node 106. In certain example implementations,one or more of the nodes 101 may be terminal nodes 108, such thatcommunication to other nodes of the system 100 is made by communicatingthrough a nearest node. In certain implementations, the designatedcontrol node(s) 106 may be configured to selectively control replicationand distribution of a selected DL. For example, replication/distributionof a chain 110 to other nodes 101 of the system 100 may be selectivelycontrolled by permissions encoded at the block 112 level. Sucharchitecture provides a highly flexible and customizable way todistribute selected ledgers, chains 110, and/or blocks 112 toappropriate nodes 101 of the system 100.

In certain example implementations, the terminal nodes 108 may beinterconnected 104 to a control node 106 by an intervening node. Thus,according to certain example implementations, it is not a necessaryrequirement to have all nodes directly interconnected 104 to oneanother. According to an example implementation of the disclosedtechnology, different levels of connectivity degrees may be utilized.For example, a first-degree connection between nodes may be designatedwhen nodes are directly interconnected 104 (such as node 102 and node106). Second-degree connections, for example, may be designated forthose node pairs in which an intervening node provides the connectivity(such as node 106 and node 108).

According to an example implementation of the disclosed technology, eachof the nodes 101 of the distributed ledger system 100 may include aserver configured for communication with other nodes by respectiveInternet connections. Certain implementations may utilize cloud servicesas interconnections 104 among nodes 101. According to certain exampleimplementations, the nodes 101 may be configured for interconnection 104communication through a service provider.

According to an example implementation of the disclosed technology, andwith continued reference to the bottom portion of FIG. 1, certain blocksof the chain 110 may be allocated and/or reserved for certain events orother PAN-specific data.

In accordance with certain example implementations of the disclosedtechnology, as new transaction indications associated with a given PANare received, a new transaction block 114 may be written to capture thetransaction information. Responsive to an end-of-cycle indication, thetransaction block 114 may be locked and bound 118 to the chain 110, forexample to prevent further modification. In certain exampleimplementations, locking the chain responsive to the end-of-cycleindication may be utilized to preserve information in a compliant wayfor the issuer. For example, an issuer may employ certain controls tocomply with the Truth in Lending Act (TILA) and associated requirementsregarding minimum payments, amount of time to pay before late feesaccrue, etc. Locking the chains 110 of blocks 114 at the end-of-cyclemay be used as trigger for many (if not all) of these controls. Incertain example implementations, any future edits by a node 108 to ablock 114 (for example, to reflect merchandise return for a partialcredit) to which the node 108 has read/write/edit/delete access may bewritten to the next segment of the chain 110 with a new block thatreferences the old block to be edited or deleted. In this exampleimplementation, the chain 110 may utilize such an edit, and may applythe same transaction, interest, and fee application rules to the newand/or edited block or chain 110.

In certain example implementations, selectively modifiable blocks 120may be added and/or utilized within a selected chain 110, for example,to provide for future changes, instructions, demarcation, routing, etc.In certain example implementations, the selectively modifiable blocks120 may be revised by certain nodes and/or APIs having appropriatepermissions. For example, permissions may be set within a selectivelymodifiable block 120, and nodes and/or APIs having express authorizationmay revise certain data in the selectively modifiable block 120. Incertain example implementations, selectively modifiable block 120 may beset with particular permissions and constraints. In one embodiment forexample, the selectively modifiable block 120 may include a globalread/write permission for all nodes 101. In another example embodiment,the selectively modifiable block 120 may include restricted permissionsthat will allow read/write by certain nodes, administrators, APIs,within designated time periods, etc. For example, block 120 may bedesignated as a “special permissions” block that is accessible by athird party, which may be represented by one or more of the nodes 101.In this example, instead of sending a payment posting file to the issuerat the end of every day, the authorized third party may write to aselectively modifiable block 120 that a payment was performed by thecustomer to the account represented by the chain 110. In certain exampleimplementations, such modification may happen in real time as it isoccurring (as opposed to nightly), which may help eliminate instances ofmisapplied payments and returns for insufficient funds from the thirdparty back to the issuing or paying bank. In certain exampleimplementations, dedicated blocks in the chain 110 may be reserved forspecific sets of nodes 101. For example, one or more selectivelymodifiable blocks 120 may be reserved as external party payment postingblocks for third party nodes to allow for those blocks to consistentlycontain only certain transactions types and grant full write access tothe selectively modifiable blocks 120 without allowing third partypayment providers (or other entities) to write or edit any other kind ofblocks, such as a transaction block 114.

According to an example implementation of the disclosed technology,permissions and/or constraints may also be set at the level of the chain110. For example, a digital wallet may be configured with universalrules of the chain 110. Such universal rules may be based on the userand transaction blocks 112 accessed. For example, a transaction block112 could be set for read access and write access, but not deleteaccess.

In certain example implementations, certain blocks (such as selectivelymodifiable blocks 120) may be setup for a temporary authorized user.Such blocks may be setup with delete access and/or with temporaryauthorization that may be revoked at a different time. As an example,temporary tokens may be granted to a mobile device so that digitalwallet purchases may be made without requiring internet access. Then,once the token is outdated, it may be deleted. In another exampleimplementation, a block in a digital wallet may represent a request froma user for certain access rights to enable a third party to conduct atransaction on the user's behalf.

As may be apparent from the description above, the certain transactionblocks 112 within a chain 110 may be locked and bound to the chain 110to prevent further modification or tampering, while other new blocks 114may be written and bound to the chain 110 (for example, upon an end-ofcycle). Yet other special selectively modifiable block 120 may be boundto the chain 110, but may include a mechanism for future modifications,temporary use, and/or specific third-party use. In some instances, theremay be certain actions an issuer may need to take against an account(i.e., a chain 110) that may require complete revocation or stoppage ofthe chain. Examples where such actions may be appropriate include, deathnotifications, Anti-Money Laundering (AML) concerns, SpeciallyDesignated National (SDN) concerns, first party fraud, etc. According tocertain example implementations of the disclosed technology, writingcertain action blocks as links in the chain 110 may irrevocably freezethe chain 110 from further use, read/write/edit/delete, and/or access byall or certain nodes 101 in the DLS ecosystem, per the rules of thechain and the block being written.

FIG. 2 is an example depiction of a chain 200 assembled from transactionblocks 112. In certain example implementations, the transaction blocks112 may be appended to the chain 200 based on received information abouta transaction 202. Each block 112 for example, may include transactiondata 204 identifying a particular transaction 202 and/or associatedinformation 203 such as a primary account number (PAN) associated withthe transaction 202. In certain example implementations, block-levelpermission information 206 may be included in one or more blocks 112. Incertain example implementations, chain-level permissions 208 and/oraccount classification/type information 210 may be included in the chain202 and/or in one or more of the blocks 112. In certain exampleimplementations, such permission information 206 208 and/orclassification/type information 210 may be utilized to signal to thenodes of distributed ledger system how each chain and/or block may behandled, routed, modified, replicated, etc., as will be furtherexplained below with reference to FIG. 4.

FIG. 3 depicts a block diagram of an illustrative computing device 300according to an example implementation. Certain aspects of FIG. 3 may beembodied in nodes of the system (for example, the nodes 101 of system100, as shown in FIG. 1). According to one example implementation, theterm “computing device,” as used herein, may be a CPU, or conceptualizedas a CPU (for example, the CPU 302 of FIG. 3). In this exampleimplementation, the computing device (CPU) may be coupled, connected,and/or in communication with one or more other nodes of a network viacommunication channels including, but not limited to Internetconnections, satellite communications, wireless channels, cloudconnections, etc.

In an example implementation, the computing device may output content toits local display and may transmit and receive messages via the antennainterface 310, the network connection interface 312, telephony subsystem332, etc. In example implementation, the computing device may outputcontent to an external display device (e.g., over Wi-Fi) such as a TV oran external computing system. It will be understood that the computingdevice 300 is provided for example purposes only and does not limit thescope of the various implementations of the communication systems andmethods.

The computing device 300 of FIG. 3 includes a central processing unit(CPU) 302, where computer instructions are processed. Certain exampleimplementations can include a display interface 304 that acts as acommunication interface and provides functions for rendering video,graphics, images, and texts on the display. In certain exampleimplementations of the disclosed technology, the display interface 304may be directly connected to a local display, such as a touch-screendisplay associated with a mobile computing device. In another exampleimplementation, the display interface 304 may be configured to providecontent (for example, data, images, and other information as previouslydiscussed) for an external/remote display that is not necessarilyphysically connected to the computing device 300. For example, a desktopmonitor may be utilized for mirroring graphics and other informationthat is presented on a mobile computing device. In certain exampleimplementations, the display interface 304 may wirelessly communicate,for example, via a Wi-Fi channel or other available network connectioninterface 312 to an external/remote display.

In an example implementation, the network connection interface 312 maybe configured as a communication interface and may provide functions forrendering video, graphics, images, text, other information, or anycombination thereof on the display. In one example, the computing device300 may include a communication interface that may include one or moreof: a serial port, a parallel port, a general-purpose input and output(GPIO) port, a game port, a universal serial bus (USB), a micro-USBport, a high definition multimedia (HDMI) port, a video port, an audioport, a Bluetooth port, a near-field communication (NFC) port, anotherlike communication interface, or any combination thereof.

According to an example implementation of the disclosed technology, thecomputing device 300 may include a keyboard interface 306 that providesa communication interface to a keyboard. In one example implementation,the computing device 300 may include a pointing device interface 308 forconnecting to a presence-sensitive input interface. According to certainexample implementations of the disclosed technology, the pointing deviceinterface 308 may provide a communication interface to various devicessuch as a touch screen, a depth camera, etc.

The computing device 300 may be configured to use an input device viaone or more of input/output interfaces (for example, the keyboardinterface 306, the display interface 304, the pointing device interface308, the antenna interface 310, the network connection interface 312,camera interface 314, sound interface 316, etc.,) to allow a user tocapture information into the computing device 300. The input device mayinclude a mouse, a trackball, a directional pad, a track pad, atouch-verified track pad, a presence-sensitive track pad, apresence-sensitive display, a scroll wheel, a digital camera, a digitalvideo camera, a web camera, a microphone, a sensor, a smartcard, and thelike. Additionally, the input device may be integrated with thecomputing device 300 or may be a separate device. For example, the inputdevice may be an accelerometer, a magnetometer, a digital camera, amicrophone, and an optical sensor.

Certain example implementations of the computing device 300 may includean antenna interface 310 in communication with an antenna. Certainexample implementations of the antenna interface 310 can include one ormore of: a receiver, analog-to-digital converter, sampler, buffers,memory, and memory. Certain example implementations can include anetwork connection interface 312 that provides a communication interfaceto a network (such as the interconnections 104 between nodes 101 insystem 100, as shown in FIG. 1). In certain implementations, a camerainterface 314 may act as a communication interface to provide functionsfor capturing digital images from a camera. In certain implementations,a sound interface 316 is provided as a communication interface forconverting sound into electrical signals using a microphone and forconverting electrical signals into sound using a speaker. According toexample implementations, a random-access memory (RAM) 318 is provided,where computer instructions and data may be stored in a volatile memorydevice for processing by the CPU 302.

According to an example implementation, the computing device 300includes a read-only memory (ROM) 320 where invariant low-level systemcode or data for basic system functions such as basic input and output(I/O), startup, or reception of keystrokes from a keyboard are stored ina non-volatile memory device. According to an example implementation,the computing device 300 includes a storage medium 322 or other suitabletype of memory (e.g. such as RAM, ROM, programmable read-only memory(PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electricallyerasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic disks, opticaldisks, floppy disks, hard disks, removable cartridges, flash drives),where the files include an operating system 324, application programs326 and content files 328 are stored.

In accordance with certain example implementations of the disclosedtechnology, the application programs 326 can include special-purposesoftware that may perform one or more of the following functions:receive data, decrypt encrypted data, examine the data for permissions,examine the data for classification/type information, process the data,encrypt data, route data to other nodes of the system, etc.

According to an example implementation, the computing device 300includes a power source 330 that provides an appropriate alternatingcurrent (AC) or direct current (DC) to power components. According to anexample implementation, the computing device 300 can include a telephonysubsystem 332 that allows the device 300 to transmit and receive soundover a telephone network. The constituent devices and the CPU 302communicate with each other over a bus 334.

In accordance with an example implementation, the CPU 302 hasappropriate structure to be a computer processor. In one arrangement,the computer CPU 302 may include more than one processing unit. The RAM318 interfaces with the computer bus 334 to provide quick RAM storage tothe CPU 302 during the execution of software programs such as theoperating system application programs, and device drivers. Morespecifically, the CPU 302 loads computer-executable process steps fromthe storage medium 322 or other media into a field of the RAM 318 inorder to execute software programs. Content may be stored in the RAM318, where the content may be accessed by the computer CPU 302 duringexecution. In one example configuration, the device 300 includes atleast 128 MB of RAM, and 256 MB of flash memory.

The storage medium 322 itself may include a number of physical driveunits, such as a redundant array of independent disks (RAID), a floppydisk drive, a flash memory, a USB flash drive, an external hard diskdrive, thumb drive, pen drive, key drive, a High-Density DigitalVersatile Disc (HD-DVD) optical disc drive, an internal hard disk drive,a Blu-Ray optical disc drive, or a Holographic Digital Data Storage(HDDS) optical disc drive, an external mini-dual in-line memory module(DIMM) synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), or an externalmicro-DIMM SDRAM. Such computer readable storage media allow the device300 to access computer-executable process steps, application programsand the like, stored on removable and non-removable memory media, tooff-load data from the device 300 or to upload data onto the device 300.A computer program product, such as one utilizing a communication systemmay be tangibly embodied in storage medium 322, which may comprise amachine-readable storage medium.

According to one example implementation, the terms computing device ormobile computing device, as used herein, may be a central processingunit (CPU), controller or processor, or may be conceptualized as a CPU,controller or processor (for example, the CPU processor 302 of FIG. 3).In yet other instances, a computing device may be a CPU, controller orprocessor combined with one or more additional hardware components. Incertain example implementations, the computing device operating as aCPU, controller or processor may be operatively coupled with one or moreperipheral devices, such as a display, navigation system, stereo,entertainment center, Wi-Fi access point, or the like. In anotherexample implementation, the term computing device, as used herein, mayrefer to a mobile computing device, such as a smartphone, mobile station(MS), terminal, cellular phone, cellular handset, personal digitalassistant (PDA), smartphone, wireless phone, organizer, handheldcomputer, desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet computer, set-topbox, television, appliance, game device, medical device, display device,satellite processor, or some other like terminology. In an exampleembodiment, the computing device may output content to its local displayor speaker(s). In another example implementation, the computing devicemay output content to an external display device (e.g., over Wi-Fi) suchas a TV or an external computing system.

The features and other aspects and principles of the disclosedembodiments may be implemented in various environments. Suchenvironments and related applications may be specifically constructedfor performing the various processes and operations of the disclosedembodiments or they may include a general-purpose computer or computingplatform selectively activated or reconfigured by program code toprovide the necessary functionality. Further, the processes disclosedherein may be implemented by a suitable combination of hardware,software, and/or firmware. For example, the disclosed embodiments mayimplement general purpose machines configured to execute softwareprograms that perform processes consistent with the disclosedembodiments. Alternatively, the disclosed embodiments may implement aspecialized apparatus or system configured to execute software programsthat perform processes consistent with the disclosed embodiments.Furthermore, although some disclosed embodiments may be implemented bygeneral-purpose machines as computer processing instructions, all or aportion of the functionality of the disclosed embodiments may beimplemented instead in dedicated electronics hardware.

The disclosed embodiments also relate to tangible and non-transitorycomputer readable media that include program instructions or programcode that, when executed by one or more processors, perform one or morecomputer-implemented operations. The program instructions or programcode may include specially designed and constructed instructions orcode, and/or instructions and code well-known and available to thosehaving ordinary skill in the computer software arts. For example, thedisclosed embodiments may execute high-level and/or low-level softwareinstructions, such as machine code (e.g., such as that produced by acompiler) and/or high-level code that can be executed by a processorusing an interpreter.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an illustrative distributed ledgerprocessing system 400, according to an example implementation of thedisclosed technology. As an overview, the system 400 may include a blockand chain building module 402 configured to receive transactionindications 406, process associated blocks (such as blocks 112 asdiscussed with reference to FIG. 1) of the received associatedtransaction indications 406, and process ledger chains 408 based on thetransaction indications 406 and/or blocks 409. In certainimplementations the same or similar system 400 may reside one or moreadditional nodes 410 of a networked distributed ledger system 412 (whichin certain example implementations may correspond to the system 100 asdiscussed with reference to FIG. 1).

Certain aspects of the distributed ledger processing system 400, forexample, may be embodied as a computing device (such as computing device300 as discussed with reference to FIG. 3). In some exampleimplementations, certain processes associated with the chain buildingmodule 402 may be carried out in special application-specific hardware,while certain other processes may be handled by special-purpose softwareand/or firmware. In certain example implementations, chains 408processed by the block and chain building module 402 may be stored inlocal memory 414, for example, at the local node 416 of the networkeddistributed ledger system 412 and/or distributed to other selected nodes418 of the networked distributed ledger system 412, for example, basedon the primary account number (PAN) associated with the chain 408 and/orother transaction-specific information.

In accordance with certain example implementations, received transactionindications 406 may include additional information 420, such as areference to a primary account number (PAN), transaction amounts, dateand time stamps, vendor information, etc. In certain exampleimplementations of the disclosed technology the additional information420 may be utilized by the block and chain building module 402 forprocessing/appending/binding transaction blocks 409 to the properPAN-specific chain 408. According to an example implementation of thedisclosed technology, the additional information 420 may includetransaction details that contain account-specific information (like BINsand account IDs) to comprise a financial PAN (fPAN). In certain exampleimplementations, transactions can also contain tokenized fPANS to maskfPANs for security. The additional information 420 can be any uniqueidentifier supplied by the issuer, or another node that is alsotokenizing or encrypting transactions 406, to apply against a specificchain. In certain example implementations, the additional information420 may not be critical to the transaction and it can be shared withother nodes for the purposes of writing or editing blocks and affixingthem to specific chains. In certain example implementations, each typeof account specific information 420 may be unique to the type of blockbeing written, so that any respective node type would haveread/write/edit/delete access as appropriate for that block and thatchain. In certain example implementations, the owner (or issuer) of thechain may have the holistic encryption/decryption key for the additionalinformation 420 needed for a specific block (such as transaction block406) and may share the key as needed with other nodes who obtainread/write access.

According to an example implementation of the disclosed technology, theblock and chain building module 402 may receive transaction indications406 via a receiver (Rx) 422. In certain example implementations, themodule 402 may be configured to receive encrypted data 424, for examplefrom a previous node 426 of the networked distributed ledger system 412.In certain embodiments, the module 402 may include a decryption module426 configured with private/public key processing 428 capabilities todecrypt the received encrypted data 424. In certain exampleimplementations, the module 402 may therefore be configured to handleinitial transaction data (for example, as received from a vendor) and/orprocess encrypted data 424 from a previous node 426, which may providecertain flexibilities and technological improvements in field ofdistributed ledger systems.

Continuing with reference to FIG. 4, the received transactionindications 406 (and/or decrypted data) may then be processed by a typeclassification module 430, for example, to extract class/typeinformation 432. In certain example implementations, the class/typeinformation 432 may identify one or more of: an issuer of a credit card,a cardholder entity status, an account type, a primary account numberassociated with the credit card, an authentication code, and/or anyother relevant information associated with the transaction and/oraccount. In certain example implementations, the class/type information432 may identify one or more of: a test, a marketing event, a rateoffer, check access; and a cash advance. In certain exampleimplementations, such extracted class/type information 432 may beencoded in the chain 408 via a data partition unit 434. In certainexample implementations, binding and/or locking of the chain may beperformed by the data partition unit 434.

In accordance with certain example implementations of the disclosedtechnology, certain chain-level permissions 436 and/or block-levelpermissions 438 may be determined by a permissions module 440. Aspreviously discussed with reference to FIG. 2 (and permissioninformation 206 208), according to certain example implementations, thechain-level permissions 436 may be encoded into transaction chains bythe data partition unit 434. In certain example implementations,block-level permissions 438 may be encoded into one or more transactionblocks 409 that make-up a chain 408 by the data partition unit 434. Incertain example implementations, such permission information 436 438and/or class/type information 432 may be utilized to signal to the nodes410 of the networked distributed ledger system 412 how each chain 408and/or block 409 should be handled, routed, modified, replicated, etc.Such classification and/or permission information encoded into eachchain 408 and/or one or more blocks 409 of a distributed ledger providestechnological improvements and efficiencies over conventional systems.

In certain example implementations, the data partition unit 434 may bein communication with a local memory storage 414, for example, to storeand retrieve chains 408 and to append additional transaction blocks 409to the chain 408 (as discussed with reference to the example transactionblocks 112 and chain 110 of FIG. 1). In certain example implementations,the data partition unit 434 may handle the binding of transaction blocks409 to the appropriate chain 408. According to an example implementationof the disclosed technology, the data partition unit 434 may utilize PANinformation (for example, in the extracted class/type data 432) todetermine the proper chain 408 to be retrieved for appending with thetransaction block 409.

According to an example implementation of the disclosed technology, thechain 408 output by the data partition unit 434 may be (optionally)encrypted by an encryption module 422 to produce an encrypted chain 444.Accordingly, either the non-encrypted chain 408 and/or the encryptedchain 444 may be stored in local memory 414 and/or prepared for andreplication at selected nodes 418 of the networked distributed ledgersystem 412 by the selective replication module 446. For example, andaccording to certain embodiments of the disclosed technology, theselective replication module 446 may be configured to interpret one ormore of the class/type 432 info, chain-level permissions 436, and/orblock-level permissions 438 encoded into or associated with the chain409 (and/or encrypted chain 444) to determine the appropriate node ornodes 410 of the networked distributed ledger system 412 for which thechain 409 (and/or encrypted chain 444) should be transmitted 448 androuted to for distribution/replication. In this sense, certain exampleimplementations of the disclosed technology enable partial or fulldistribution of ledgers to a networked distributed ledger system 412depending on various granular factors as may be governed by specifics ofthe PAN, or even the specifics of the transactions.

According to an example implementation of the disclosed technology, theblock and chain building module 402 may include a selective validationmodule 450 that may be configured to validate certain selected chains409 (and/or encrypted chains 444). In certain example implementationsthe validation process may be performed on locally processed chains. Inother example implementations the validation process may be performed inconjunction with other selected nodes 418, depending on specifics of thePAN, or even the specifics of the transactions. In certain exampleimplementations, validation may be performed by data count, check sum,and/or other processing of the data within the chains, for example tomake sure that certain distributed chains have not been tampered with orrevised. In certain example implementations, particularly in embodimentswhere block-level permissions 438 allow for revisions, such associatedblocks may be masked from the validation process until locked, orrevision permissions have been revoked or expired.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram of a method 500 according to an exampleimplementation of the disclosed technology. In block 502, the method 500includes receiving, by a first node of a distributed ledger system, atransaction message associated with an electronic transaction, whereinthe distributed ledger system comprises a plurality of nodes, each nodeconfigured to store a plurality of distributed ledgers (DL), each DL isassociated with a primary account number (PAN), each DL comprising oneor more transaction blocks, and each of the one or more transactionblocks is associated with a transaction record of an accountcorresponding to the PAN. In block 504, the method 500 includes storing,in a memory of a first transaction block of a first DL associated withthe first node, a data record representative of the electronictransaction. In block 506, the method 500 includes electronicallytransmitting to at least a second node of the plurality of nodes, anupdated version of the first DL. In block 508, the method 500 includesselectively validating one or more selected transaction blocksassociated with one or more selected DLs of one or more selected nodesof the plurality of nodes.

In certain example implementations, selectively validating can includevalidating a first transaction block of the first node. In certainexample implementations, one or more selected transaction blocks areselectively validated according to a classification type of the PAN.

According to an example implementation of the disclosed technology, thetransaction message may include an indicator representing a type of thetransaction. In some implementations, the memory may be configured tostore a plurality of data elements, each data element configured torepresent a data value related to the transaction.

Certain example implementations of the disclosed technology may furtherinclude selectively storing, in a memory of the second node, the updatedversion of the first DL. In certain example implementations of thedisclosed technology, one or more of the transaction blocks are lockedat the end of a predetermined cycle.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram of a method 600 according to an exampleimplementation of the disclosed technology. In block 602, the methodincludes establishing, at a first node of a plurality of nodes, a firstdistributed ledger (DL) associated with a first PAN in a distributedledger system that includes a plurality of nodes, each node configuredto store a plurality of DLs, each DL is associated with a primaryaccount number (PAN), each DL comprising one or more transaction blocks,and each of the one or more transaction blocks is associated with atransaction record of an account corresponding to the PAN. In block 604,the method 600 includes allocating a first type block in the first DL,the first type block identifying a classification type associated withthe first PAN. In block 606, the method 600 includes receiving, at thefirst node, a first transaction indication associated with the firstPAN. In block 608, and responsive to receiving the first transactionindication, the method 600 includes binding a first transaction block tothe first DL, the first transaction block comprising a first recordassociated with the first transaction indication. In block 610, themethod includes selectively transmitting, via a transceiver, the firsttransaction block to at least a second node of the plurality of nodesfor selective replication. In block 612, and responsive to anend-of-cycle indication, the method 600 includes locking the firsttransaction block to prevent further modification.

In accordance with certain example implementations of the disclosedtechnology, one or more transaction blocks of the first DL is configuredfor selective control by an API.

In certain example implementations, the system and/or method 600 mayfurther configured to perform one or more of the following elements:establish, at the second node, a second DL associated with a second PAN;allocate a second type block in the second DL, the second type blockidentifying the classification type associated with the second PAN;receive, at the second node, a second transaction indication associatedwith the second PAN; responsive to receiving the second transactionindication, bind a second transaction block to the second DL, the secondtransaction block comprising a second record associated with the secondtransaction indication; selectively transmit, via the transceiver, thesecond transaction block to at least the first node and a third node ofthe plurality of nodes for selective replication; and responsive to theend-of-cycle indication, lock the second transaction block to preventfurther modification.

In certain example implementations, at least one of the first and secondtransaction blocks of the first and second DLs, respectively, isconfigured to be reserved for one or more special events associated withone or more of the first and second PANs.

In certain example implementations the one or more special events caninclude one or more of: a test; a marketing event; a rate offer; checkaccess; and a cash advance.

In certain example implementations, the first PAN may be tokenized. Incertain example implementations, first PAN identifies one or more of: anissuer of a credit card; a cardholder entity status; an account numberassociated with the credit card; and an authentication code.

Responsive to the end-of-cycle indication, certain implementation mayallocate at least a second block of the first DL for future activitythat can include one or more of a future cycle, a dispute, an accountchange, and a fraud event.

According to an example implementation of the disclosed technology, oneor more of the transaction blocks may be selectively validated.

Certain example implementations of the disclosed technology may includea computer-implemented method for selective control of distributedledgers (DL) of a distributed ledger system (DLS), the DLS comprising aplurality of nodes, each node storing a plurality of DLs, each DL isassociated with a primary account number (PAN), each DL comprisingblocks, and each block is associated with a transaction record of anaccount corresponding to the PAN. The method can include: allocating atype block in each DL, the type block identifying a classification typeassociated with the PAN; receiving at a first node of the plurality ofnodes, a transaction indication associated with the PAN; responsive toreceiving the transaction indication, binding a transaction block to theDL, the transaction block comprising a record associated with thetransaction indication; selectively transmitting, via a transceiver, thetransaction block to one or more nodes of the DLS for selectivereplication; and responsive to an end-of-cycle indication, locking atleast a portion of the transaction blocks to prevent furthermodification.

Certain example implementations of the disclosed technology may includea computer-implemented method for receiving, by a first node of adistributed ledger system (DLS), a transaction message associated withan electronic transaction, wherein the DLS comprises a plurality ofnodes, each node configured to store a plurality of distributed ledgers(DLs), each DL is associated with a primary account number (PAN), eachDL comprising blocks, and each block is associated with a transactionrecord of an account corresponding to the PAN; storing, in a memory of afirst DL associated with the first node of the DLS, a data recordrepresentative of the electronic transaction; electronicallytransmitting to at least a second node of the plurality of nodes, anupdated version of the first DL; and selectively validating one or moretransaction blocks associated with one or more selected nodes of theDLS.

In certain example implementations, the transaction message can includean indicator representing a type of the transaction.

In certain example implementations, the memory is configured to store aplurality of data elements, each data element configured to represent adata value related to the transaction.

According to an example implementation of the disclosed technology, themethod can include selectively storing, in a memory of a second node ofthe DLS, the updated version of the first DL. In certain exampleimplementations, the one or more transaction blocks are selectivelyvalidated according to a classification type of the PAN. In certainexample implementations, each block may be locked at the end of apredetermined cycle.

The systems and methods disclosed herein may take advantage of moderncomputer architecture for significant improvements in transactionprocessing via a decentralized or hybrid distributed database platform.Certain example implementations of the disclosed technology provide forglobal sharing of data, but only those parties having a legitimate needto know about data in certain blocks. In certain exampleimplementations, workflow may be handled between nodes without a centralcontroller. In certain example implementations, a consensus betweenchains and ledgers can be handled at the level of individualtransaction. Certain example implementations of the disclosed technologymay enable regulatory and supervisory observer nodes such that data maybe validated by parties to the transaction rather than a broader pool ofunrelated validators.

Certain example implementations of the disclosed technology provide avariety of consensus and/or validation mechanisms. For example, Certainexample implementations of the disclosed technology may treat theinterrelated mechanisms/services as selectable and customizable.

Certain example implementations of the disclosed technology provide asystem for recording and managing transactions, shared across nodes,recording transactions according to customizations and permissions. Suchtransactions may be visible to the appropriate modules and/or nodes thatare configured for proper deployment and security.

As used in this application, the terms “component,” “module,” “system,”“server,” “processor,” “memory,” and the like are intended to includeone or more computer-related units, such as but not limited to hardware,firmware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or softwarein execution. For example, a component may be, but is not limited tobeing, a process running on a processor, an object, an executable, athread of execution, a program, and/or a computer. By way ofillustration, both an application running on a computing device and thecomputing device can be a component. One or more components can residewithin a process and/or thread of execution and a component may belocalized on one computer and/or distributed between two or morecomputers. In addition, these components can execute from variouscomputer readable media having various data structures stored thereon.The components may communicate by way of local and/or remote processessuch as in accordance with a signal having one or more data packets,such as data from one component interacting with another component in alocal system, distributed system, and/or across a network such as theInternet with other systems by way of the signal.

Certain embodiments and implementations of the disclosed technology aredescribed above with reference to block and flow diagrams of systems andmethods and/or computer program products according to exampleembodiments or implementations of the disclosed technology. It will beunderstood that one or more blocks of the block diagrams and flowdiagrams, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and flowdiagrams, respectively, can be implemented by computer-executableprogram instructions. Likewise, some blocks of the block diagrams andflow diagrams may not necessarily need to be performed in the orderpresented, may be repeated, or may not necessarily need to be performedat all, according to some embodiments or implementations of thedisclosed technology.

These computer-executable program instructions may be loaded onto ageneral-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a processor, orother programmable data processing apparatus to produce a particularmachine, such that the instructions that execute on the computer,processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus create meansfor implementing one or more functions specified in the flow diagramblock or blocks. These computer program instructions may also be storedin a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or otherprogrammable data processing apparatus to function in a particularmanner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readablememory produce an article of manufacture including instruction meansthat implement one or more functions specified in the flow diagram blockor blocks.

As an example, embodiments or implementations of the disclosedtechnology may provide for a computer program product, including acomputer-usable medium having a computer-readable program code orprogram instructions embodied therein, said computer-readable programcode adapted to be executed to implement one or more functions specifiedin the flow diagram block or blocks. Likewise, the computer programinstructions may be loaded onto a computer or other programmable dataprocessing apparatus to cause a series of operational elements or stepsto be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus toproduce a computer-implemented process such that the instructions thatexecute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide elementsor steps for implementing the functions specified in the flow diagramblock or blocks.

Accordingly, blocks of the block diagrams and flow diagrams supportcombinations of means for performing the specified functions,combinations of elements or steps for performing the specifiedfunctions, and program instruction means for performing the specifiedfunctions. It will also be understood that each block of the blockdiagrams and flow diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the blockdiagrams and flow diagrams, can be implemented by special-purpose,hardware-based computer systems that perform the specified functions,elements or steps, or combinations of special-purpose hardware andcomputer instructions.

Certain implementations of the disclosed technology are described abovewith reference to user devices may include mobile computing devices.Those skilled in the art recognize that there are several categories ofmobile devices, generally known as portable computing devices that canrun on batteries but are not usually classified as laptops. For example,mobile devices can include, but are not limited to portable computers,tablet PCs, internet tablets, PDAs, ultra-mobile PCs (UMPCs), wearabledevices, and smart phones. Additionally, implementations of thedisclosed technology can be utilized with internet of things (IoT)devices, smart televisions and media devices, appliances, automobiles,toys, and voice command devices, along with peripherals that interfacewith these devices.

In this description, numerous specific details have been set forth. Itis to be understood, however, that implementations of the disclosedtechnology may be practiced without these specific details. In otherinstances, well-known methods, structures and techniques have not beenshown in detail in order not to obscure an understanding of thisdescription. References to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “someembodiments,” “example embodiment,” “various embodiments,” “oneimplementation,” “an implementation,” “example implementation,” “variousimplementations,” “some implementations,” etc., indicate that theimplementation(s) of the disclosed technology so described may include aparticular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not everyimplementation necessarily includes the particular feature, structure,or characteristic. Further, repeated use of the phrase “in oneimplementation” does not necessarily refer to the same implementation,although it may.

Throughout the specification and the claims, the following terms take atleast the meanings explicitly associated herein, unless the contextclearly dictates otherwise. The term “connected” means that onefunction, feature, structure, or characteristic is directly joined to orin communication with another function, feature, structure, orcharacteristic. The term “coupled” means that one function, feature,structure, or characteristic is directly or indirectly joined to or incommunication with another function, feature, structure, orcharacteristic. The term “or” is intended to mean an inclusive “or.”Further, the terms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean one or moreunless specified otherwise or clear from the context to be directed to asingular form. By “comprising” or “containing” or “including” is meantthat at least the named element, or method step is present in article ormethod, but does not exclude the presence of other elements or methodsteps, even if the other such elements or method steps have the samefunction as what is named.

While certain embodiments of this disclosure have been described inconnection with what is presently considered to be the most practicaland various embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure isnot to be limited to the disclosed embodiments, but on the contrary, isintended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangementsincluded within the scope of the appended claims. Although specificterms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptivesense only and not for purposes of limitation.

This written description uses examples to disclose certain embodimentsof the technology and also to enable any person skilled in the art topractice certain embodiments of this technology, including making andusing any apparatuses or systems and performing any incorporatedmethods. The patentable scope of certain embodiments of the technologyis defined in the claims, and may include other examples that occur tothose skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be withinthe scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do notdiffer from the literal language of the claims, or if they includeequivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from theliteral language of the claims.

Exemplary Use Cases

Certain example implementations of the disclosed technology providetechnological improvements in accounting, recording, and/or validatingtransactions associated with certain financial instruments. Certainexample implementations of the disclosed technology may enableunderwriting and/or reconciliation of account transactions via selectivecontrol and/or distribution of electronic ledgers.

Certain example implementations of the disclosed technology may improveefficiencies associated with credit card accounts, digital wallets, andsimilar instruments. A digital wallet, for example, can refer to anelectronic device and associated software that allows an individual tomake electronic transactions without having a physical credit card. Thedigital wallet, for example, may link to individual's bank account,credit card account, etc. In certain digital wallets, an individual'scredentials, such as a driver's license, health card, loyalty card(s)and other ID documents can be stored and utilized for financialtransactions and/or to authenticate the holder's credentials. Certainexample implementations of the disclosed technology may allow accountand transaction information to be distributed among multiple digitalwallets for efficient utilization and/or validation. In certain exampleimplementations, provisioning a card to a wallet may appear as an eventin the chain.

Certain example implementations of the disclosed technology may providenew flexibilities in how credit is accrued and processed. Traditionalcredit card accounts, for example, typically operate on a 30-day billingcycle, in which transactions for a period accrue to the end-of-cycle.Interest is then charged on amounts that have not been paid within apredetermined time after the end-of-cycle. In contrast, certain exampleimplementations of the disclosed technology can enable new and flexibleways to process transactions, billing cycles, and/or accrual based theindividual account, transaction type, special offer, etc. For example,in one implementation, a credit card account may be designated so thatthe billing cycle is based on threshold amount of charged money. In thisimplementation, charges may be written to blocks until a thresholdamount is reached. The block may then be frozen after the thresholdamount is reached, and interest may start to accrue for that block if ithas not been paid within 30 days.

In accordance with certain example implementations of the disclosedtechnology, the end-of-cycle flexibility provided herein may providecertain benefits for credit products that do not currently exist inunsecured revolving credit technology. For example, such flexibility mayprovide a level of control over spending habits on the part of consumersand businesses also not seen in other products and technology. Forexample, instead of setting a separate child account and authorized useron a credit card account (with its own credit line and cycle) theadministrator of the card can simply assign a dollar limit of blocksthat operates both as a spending limit and as an impetus to process anytravel and expense reporting on the part of the end user, effectivelyproviding two features in one. This has the added benefit of shorteningthe time to interest accrual for the issuer. In classic revolving creditsituations, a $500 charge, for example, made on cycle day 1 may lead to59 days of “float” for the user. In the case of transaction basedend-of-cycle, there could be as little as 30 days of float for thattransaction. Further, shortening the float window reduces bust outfraud, where an insidious player fabricates and identity, chargesagainst the card limit, pays it off with a bad bank account, and thencan start charging again. In certain example implementations of thedisclosed technology, end-of-cycle based on transactions may be used toshorten the window of operation, potentially leading to lower bust outfraud losses overall.

Certain example implementations of the disclosed technology may beutilized to change the fundamental credit underwriting process. In oneexample implementation of the disclosed technology, the credit processmay be revised so that it is no longer bound by a 30-day cycle. Forexample, the chain may be used to offer flexible lending, extend terms,and/or offer specific terms for a particular purchase by virtue ofhaving transaction information in the individual transaction blocks. Inone example implementation of the disclosed technology, a customer maypurchase a large ticket item (such as a vehicle) and charge thetransaction to their credit account. The associated transaction block inthe chain may reflect the type of purchase, and specific purchase-typeterms can be applied for this purchase block.

1.-9. (canceled)
 10. A computer-implemented method comprising:receiving, by a first node of a distributed ledger system, a transactionmessage associated with an electronic transaction, wherein thedistributed ledger system comprises a plurality of nodes, each nodeconfigured to store a plurality of distributed ledgers (DL), each DL isassociated with a primary account number (PAN), each DL comprising oneor more transaction blocks, and each of the one or more transactionblocks is associated with a transaction record of an accountcorresponding to the PAN; storing, in a memory of a first transactionblock of a first DL associated with the first node, a data recordrepresentative of the electronic transaction; electronicallytransmitting to at least a second node of the plurality of nodes, anupdated version of the first DL; and selectively validating one or moreselected transaction blocks associated with one or more selected DLs ofone or more selected nodes of the plurality of nodes.
 11. The method ofclaim 10, wherein selectively validating comprises validating a firsttransaction block of the first node.
 12. The method of claim 10, whereinthe one or more selected transaction blocks are selectively validatedaccording to a classification type of the PAN.
 13. The method of claim10, wherein the transaction message comprises an indicator representinga type of the transaction.
 14. The method of claim 10, wherein thememory is configured to store a plurality of data elements, each dataelement configured to represent a data value related to the transaction.15. The method of claim 10, further comprising selectively storing, in amemory of the second node, the updated version of the first DL.
 16. Themethod of claim 10, wherein one or more of the transaction blocks arelocked at the end of a predetermined cycle.
 17. A non-transitorycomputer readable storage medium storing instructions for use with adistributed ledger system (DLS), wherein the DLS includes a transceiverand a memory storage system in communication with a plurality of nodes,each node configured to store a plurality of distributed ledgers (DL),each DL is associated with a primary account number (PAN), each DLcomprising one or more transaction blocks, and each of the one or moretransaction blocks is associated with a transaction record of an accountcorresponding to the PAN, and wherein the instructions are configured tocause the DLS to perform a method comprising: receiving, by a first nodeof the DLS, a transaction message associated with an electronictransaction; storing, in a memory of a first transaction block of afirst DL associated with a first PAN, a data record representative ofthe electronic transaction; electronically transmitting to at least asecond node of the plurality of nodes, an updated version of the firstDL; and selectively validating one or more selected transaction blocksassociated with one or more selected DLs of one or more selected nodesof the plurality of nodes.
 18. The non-transitory computer readablestorage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions are furtherconfigured to cause the DLS to lock the first transaction blockresponsive to an end-of-cycle indication to prevent furthermodification.
 19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium ofclaim 17, wherein selectively validating comprises validating a firsttransaction block of the first node.
 20. The non-transitory computerreadable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions arefurther configured to cause the DLS to bind a first transaction block tothe first DL, the first transaction block comprising a first recordassociated with the first transaction indication.
 21. A distributedledger processing system, comprising: a processor; a memory storingcomputer readable instructions that when executed by the processor causethe one or more processors to perform the steps of: receiving atransaction indication associated with a primary account number (PAN),the transaction indication including transaction data and block-levelpermission data; extracting the transaction data and the block-levelpermission data from the transaction indication; appending, to aPAN-specific chain, a block comprising the extracted transaction data;setting the block as modifiable by an API according to the extractedblock-level permission data; modifying, with the API, the modifiableblock at a block level; retrieving, from a database in communicationwith the processor, an end-of-billing-cycle indication; and responsiveto the end-of-billing-cycle indication: adding a new block to thePAN-specific chain; and writing subsequently received transactionindication data to the new block.
 22. The distributed ledger processingsystem of claim 21 wherein the computer readable instructions, whenexecuted by the processor, further cause the processor to perform thestep of transmitting the modifiable block to at least a second networkedprocessor of the distributed ledger.
 23. The distributed ledgerprocessing system of claim 21, wherein the computer readableinstructions, when executed by the processor, further cause theprocessor to perform the step of storing, in a local memory of the firstnode, the extracted block-level permission data.
 24. The distributedledger processing system of claim 21, wherein the end-of-billing-cycleindication comprises a predetermined date.
 25. The distributed ledgerprocessing system of claim 21, wherein the transaction indicationfurther comprises one or more of: transaction amounts, date stamp, timestamp, vendor information, read permissions, write permissions, editpermissions, and delete permissions.
 26. The distributed ledgerprocessing system of claim 21, wherein the computer readableinstructions, when executed by the processor, further cause theprocessor to perform the steps of: establishing the PAN-specific chain;and allocating a type block identifying a classification type associatedwith the PAN; wherein the type block designates one or more specialevents associated with the PAN, wherein the one or more special eventscomprise one or more of: a test, a marketing event, a rate offer, checkaccess, and a cash advance.
 27. The distributed ledger processing systemof claim 21, wherein the PAN is one or more of: an issuer of a creditcard, a cardholder entity status, an account number associated with thecredit card, and an authentication code.
 28. The distributed ledgerprocessing system of claim 21, wherein the computer readableinstructions, when executed by the processor, further cause theprocessor to perform the step of allocating, responsive to theend-of-billing-cycle indication, at least a second block of thePAN-specific chain for one or more of: a future end-of-billing-cycle, adispute, an account change, and a fraud event.
 29. The distributedledger processing system of claim 21, wherein the computer readableinstructions, when executed by the processor, further cause theprocessor to perform the step of validating the block.